DeAgostini Bellows, “Yo-Ho, It’s a Pirate’s Life For Me”

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We close out the week with a rather intriguing product announcement – this May, we will be carrying our first ever set of Age of Sail warships. While not necessarily built-to-scale and crafted instead to accommodate a one-size-fits-all packaging, these fascinating replicas are nevertheless designed to bring the Age of Sail to life, smaller cousins, if you will, of some of the DeAgostini/Model Space warships you can build in weekly installments. These ships are already fully built, composed of plastic, yet offer such subtle details as cloth sails, wooden masts, and customized name plates. Priced at just $21.99 apiece, you can see why collectors are already singing swashbuckling songs in their honor!

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Star Wars: Rogue One Trailer

Where there is conflict, there is pain. Where there is pain, there is anguish. Where there is anguish, there is rebellion.

The first trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has been released. The film is set to open this December.

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New Line: Zvezda

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When a long time model maker decides to enter the pre-assembled vehicle space, you would expect them to replicate what they do best, at least at the outset. Russian plastic kit maker, Zvezda, recently made a surprise announcement by doing just that, with plans to offer a pair of pre-built 1:72 scale models based upon their Russian heritage. Expected in April, the company’s initial offerings will comprise a Russian T-90S main battle tank along with a TOS-1A Multiple Rocket Launch System, both painted in torrid southern Asian camouflage schemes.

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There’s already a rather wide array of competitive models to choose from, some fashioned in diecast metal, so it will be interesting to see how these vehicles fare in the market place. Th saving grace for Zvezda is that these models are being produced in cooperation with “URAL-VAGONZAVOD”, the manufacturer of the actual weapons systems, and aimed originally for the Russian market place, as can be seen by the Russian Cyrillic markings adorning the packaging.

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Barbarossa and The Bulge: Lego Style

In the “so you think you’ve seen everything” department, we came across this highly creative video portraying the opening stages of the German invasion of Russia done entirely with Lego bricks. Created by Brick Dictator, its a four-minute look at the war on the ground and in the air, complete with sound effects, explosions, pyrotechnics and some dialogue, expressed in Russian with English text overlays. Enjoy!

Meanwhile, on the western front, Raptor5120 has created a seven-minute recreation of the Battle of the Bulge. Again, well thought out and beautifully executed. I can’t help but think that these guys sure have a lot of time on their hands, but nevertheless applaud their fabulous efforts!

 

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DeAgostini Gets Ship Shape for May

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Admittedly, its been a little slow of late when it comes to announcing new products. So, when DeAgostini announced that a new squadron of 1:1250 scale warships were due to make port in May, we instantly sat up and took notice. Three new warships are scheduled to set sail, including the Kriegsmarine’s Bismarck as well as His Majesty’s Prince of Wales and Hood. Priced at just $21.99 apiece, these warships have been selling like hotcakes, and go a long way towards proving collectors are interested in diecast that sailed the high seas as much as they are interested in military vehicles and combat aircraft.

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The Mighty Eighth Takes Wing in 2017

First Daylight Raid on Berlin

Originally entitled Master’s of the Air, HBO’s latest mini series, The Mighty Eighth, pays homage to the men and machines of the US Army Air Force’s 8th Air Force during WWII. Once again the magical movie pair up of film director, Steven Spielberg, and award-winning actor, Tom Hanks, looks at the exploits of the bombardment squadrons tasked with bringing the Third Reich to its knees, largely through precision daylight bombing raids flying deep into Nazi-occupied Europe and back. The series follows in the footsteps of Band of Brothers and The Pacific, two previously released mini series held in high regard by historians, military buffs and film goers alike. While Band of Brothers focused on the exploits of a paratrooper company in the ETO and The Pacific cobbled together the stories of several real-life veterans of the war against Japan, The Mighty Eighth attempts to encapsulate the story of the bombing campaign by avoiding the use of composite characters, focusing instead on the real stories of the actual figures who flew with Eighth Air Force, and in particular the “Bloody Hundredth” bomb group, one of the hardest hitting — and hardest hit– which alone lost 229 airplanes and suffered nearly 1,900 men killed or taken prisoner between June 1943 and April 1945.

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ModelCollect’s May Day Parade

 

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April showers may bring May flowers but this year, they could also be helping to sprout T-14 Armata tanks. First debuted to the public last year at the Moscow Victory Day Parade on May 9th, the T-14 Armata tank represents the latest generation of armored fighting vehicle put forward by the resurgent Russian “Bear”, combining speed, mobility, firepower and armament into one combat platform.

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We’ve known for some time that ModelCollect had a model kit of the Armata on the drawing board, but now we’ve learned that they have a pair of pre-assembled versions of the Armata being cranked out by their arms industry. Two versions will be offered, one in the standard green scheme bearing the new Russian Ground Forces emblem (AS72046), and a second painted in a desert sand scheme (AS72047). We’re hoping both versions will be available by May 9th, no doubt to celebrate the 2016 Victory Day Parade. With nine new vehicle types shown to the public at last year’s parade, its entirely possible that ModelCollect could also be working on replicas of these vehicles too, particularly the T-15 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which is designed to replace their aging BMP fleet.

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Master Fighter Comes

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A couple of months ago, we listed many of the french-built Master Fighter vehicles and accessories on our site to gauge interest in the line and assess its strengths in relationship to other ranges now on the market. We’re proud to say that reaction to the line has been strong; in many instances far outstripping our initial forecasts. Unlike the original Gaso.Line range stocked several years ago, the Master Fighter series come in their own handsome acrylic cases which resemble many of the other comparable lines available on the global market today. Moreover, the vehicles are not based upon a Solido, Verem or Corgi chassis, making them look more uniform and ideal for wargaming aficionados as well as collectors interested in showcasing a premium line.

We’ve placed an initial order with the manufacturer, which will hopefully arrive in the next couple of weeks after clearing customs. We’ve deliberately kept our order conservative, largely because the line is both broad and deep and we do not want to tie up funds unnecessarily in some items that may not sell as well as others. So, we strongly recommend pre-ordering those items you may wish to purchase now, before the shipment comes in and gets doled out to early adopters. Its entirely possible that some items may not be listed as available for general sale, at least until a follow-on shipment is released to us at a later date.

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DeAgostini Slips a Round Peg into a Square Hole

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When we received the DeAgostini multi-scale Russian military aircraft range last year, there were a few notable absentees who failed to stand muster before our police line up. Of these, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 23 Flogger fighter (DARA21) was one of the most suspicious, a mainstay of the Russian air force for several decades boasting exceptionable qualities and characteristics. Fortunately, a remedy seems to be at hand, with stock expected of this 1:150 scale replica set to arrive some time in April. Priced at just $15.98, its a great way to fill in one of those ignominious holes in your collection, at least until the much larger Hobby Master rendition comes out this year.

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The Six-Day War: Fifty Years and Counting

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Next June is the fiftieth anniversary of the start of the Arab-Israeli Six Day War, perhaps one of the most pivotal conflicts of the twentieth century. In less than a week’s time, the outnumbered Israeli Defense Forces virtually destroyed the military apparatus of Egypt, Syria and Jordan, thereby enabling them to seize the Sinai peninsula, the West Bank, which includes Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Much of this territory is still held today, buffer zones should hostilities ever erupt again and a testimony to excellent planning, training and a will to survive despite facing overwhelming odds.

To mark the occasion, we are hoping that several model makers recognize the importance of the event and, in so doing, create a brand new series of diecast military vehicles and aircraft that pays homage to the men and machines that fought on both sides of the conflict. Certainly much can be learned by studying the war in detail, and what better way to do it than with miniatures that help bring the conflict to life. Here’s hoping the model making community doesn’t let us down.

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